Flooding Drives Fruit, Vegetable Prices Up

Associated Press

Updated: 4 years ago.

Farmers in eastern Georgia say heavy rain this summer has translated to higher prices at fruit and vegetable stands. Mattie Judge, who sells produce at the Augusta State Farmer's Market, said finding okra, butter beans, squash and string beans to stock her stand has been difficult. (Photo Courtesy of Natalie Maynor via Flickr.)

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Farmers in eastern Georgia say heavy rain this summer has translated to higher prices at fruit and vegetable stands.

Mattie Judge, who sells produce at the Augusta State Farmer's Market, said finding okra, butter beans, squash and string beans to stock her stand has been difficult. Judge says prices have been higher for crops that were successful despite the heavy rain.

Produce store owner Leo Charette says many crops in the region were ruined by heavy rain this summer, and he's had to buy produce from farther away to stock his store.

Charette says he's had to buy tomatoes from California instead of Florida and Georgia, and the price local squash is nearly five times higher than it was last year.